The present invention is in the field of theater design and is specifically related to an interactive theater which provides an audience with the experience of being totally immersed in a desired environment
Several prior art theater designs provide audiences with simulated immersion environments. Such prior art theaters include planetariums having hemispherical screens which are used to create the illusion of a sky, and very large screen theaters which create particularly large images, for example, theaters operated under the xe2x80x9cOMNIMAXxe2x80x9d trademark. In such theaters, images are projected onto projection surfaces or screens. Such images may be created using projectors which pass light through conventional xe2x80x9cfilmxe2x80x9d or, more recently, may be digitally generated. In some instances, specialized projectors are used, such as the hemispherical projectors used in planetariums. In addition, modern amusement park xe2x80x9cridesxe2x80x9d have used projected images to create a virtual reality experience, coordinating the movements of the ride with a projected image to create the illusion of being immersed in a created environment. However, heretofore theater designs have not provided audiences with a total immersion, active experience.
In its preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a virtual reality theater design which gives the audience a total immersion experience. The theater design of the present invention includes a building structure housing an audience platform, a ceiling, a large projection surface, preferably cylindrical or spherical, surrounding such audience platform and ceiling, an optical projection system, a sound system producing sound effects in multiple directions, and a computer-controlled show system for controlling the optical projection system and the sound system. The theater of the present invention may additionally include a plurality of detectors or sensors for detecting audience movements or actions in order to vary the projected image in response to such detected movement or action. That is, in a preferred embodiment, the present invention dynamically varies the events of the simulated environment or the images to be displayed to create and modify the simulated environment in response to audience movements or actions.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide a theater which provides an audience with the experience of being totally immersed in a desired environment.
Also, it is an object of the present invention to provide a theater which immerses an audience in a full or apparent 360xc2x0 projected environment horizontally and apparent 360xc2x0 projected environment vertically.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an interactive virtual reality theater assembly having an optical projection system and a control system that detects audience motions and/or sounds and projects images in response to such detection to dynamically alter the simulated environment.
Further object of the present invention is to provide a computer control system to control the display of images (or programs containing the images) that is used to create a desired simulated environment in accordance with the audience movements, actions, sounds or the like.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a lighting device to generate light effects in accordance with the projected images to create a desired simulated environment.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a multi-channel sound system to generate sound effects in accordance with the projected images to create a desired simulated environment.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a movable ceiling which may be detached, lifted or angled to convert the theater of the present invention into a conventional film or video theater or lecture hall.
Various other objects, advantages and features of the present invention will become apparent from the ensuing detailed description.